DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 12/18/2023, 2/05/2024, 6/28/2025 are being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: in para [0046] and [0047] the specification recites “stator core 64”; elsewhere, the stator core is 62 the stator coil is 64. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over TACHIKAWA (JP 2014225969; previously cited) in view of XU (CN 211791056; previously cited).
Regarding claim 1, TACHIKAWA discloses a motor (3) comprising:
a case including a stator housing (10), a first motor cover (5) at an output end of the stator housing (10), and a second motor cover (30) at a non-output end of the stator housing (10);
an outward oil path (20) on the stator housing (10) and connecting the first motor cover (5) and the second motor cover (30);
a return oil path (25) on the stator housing (10) and lower than the outward oil path (20) to connect the first motor cover (5) and the second motor cover (30);
a rotor (2) inside the case and held by the first motor cover (5) and the second motor cover (30); and
a stator core (12) inside the case and radially outside the rotor (2) and fixed to the stator housing (10) (see Fig. 1).
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However, TACHIKAWA does not disclose the outward oil path outside the stator housing or the return oil path outside the stator housing.
XU discloses a motor with an outward oil path (21) outside a stator housing (1) and a return oil path (22) outside a stator housing (1).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains to provide the passages of TACHIKAWA outside the stator housing, similar to XU.
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modification in order to simplify the structure and make it convenient to assemble and disassemble while providing good cooling effect, as taught by XU (see abstract).
Regarding claim 2, TACHIKAWA in view of XU teaches the motor according to Claim 1.
TACHIKAWA discloses the stator core (12) is fixed to the stator housing (10) by a shrink fit (this product-by-process limitation does not result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art. See MPEP 2113).
Regarding claim 3, TACHIKAWA in view of XU teaches the motor according to Claim 1.
TACHIKAWA discloses the first motor cover (5) includes a first oil path (B) connected to the outward oil path (20) to supply oil to the outward oil path (20), and a second oil path branched from the first oil path (16a) to supply oil into the case.
Regarding claim 4, TACHIKAWA in view of XU teaches the motor according to Claim 1.
TACHIKAWA discloses the second motor cover (30) includes a third oil path (17) connected to the outward oil path (20) to supply oil from the outward oil path (20) into the case.
Regarding claim 5, TACHIKAWA in view of XU teaches the motor according to Claim 1.
TACHIKAWA discloses an outer circumferential surface of the stator housing (10) includes no ribs from the output end to the non-output end (see Fig. 1 and 2).
Regarding claim 6, TACHIKAWA in view of XU teaches the motor according to Claim 1.
TACHIKAWA discloses a first external pipe including the outward oil path (20) and held by the first motor cover (5) and the second motor cover (30); and
a second external pipe including the return oil path (25) and held by the first motor cover (5) and the second motor cover (30) (see Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 7, TACHIKAWA in view of XU teaches the motor according to Claim 6.
TACHIKAWA discloses the outward oil path (20) has a smaller cross sectional area than the return oil path (25) (see Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 8, TACHIKAWA in view of XU teaches a motor unit comprising:
the motor (3) according to Claim 1.
TACHIKAWA discloses a speed reducer (gear box 4) on a side of the first motor cover (5) (see Fig. 1) to slow rotation of the rotor (2), and including an oil reservoir (P) connected to the return oil path (25) (see Fig. 2).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US-2964659-A STEELE III discloses a motor with external coolant paths connecting opposite ends of a housing; US-20070177835-A1 Verhaegen discloses a motor with external coolant paths connecting opposite ends of a housing; US-20140174856-A1 TAKAGI discloses a motor with branching coolant paths and cooling paths outside a housing; US-20200412208-A1 NAKAMURA discloses a motor with external coolant paths connecting opposite ends of a housing; US-20220123628-A1 NAKAMATSU discloses a motor with external coolant paths connecting opposite ends of a housing; and US-20220410412-A1 Kastler discloses a motor with external coolant paths connecting opposite ends of a housing.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUSTIN STEFANON whose telephone number is (703)756-4648. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday and alternate Fridays 8AM - 5PM EDT.
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/JUSTIN STEFANON/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/OLUSEYE IWARERE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834